chapter six - terms

kidneys

• two bean-shaped organs located on each side of the vertebral column on the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity behind the parietal peritoneum

• their function is to remove waste products from the blood and to aid in maintaining water and electrolyte balances

nephron

• urine- producing microscopic structure

• approx. 1 million nephrons are located in each kidney

glomerulus (pl. glomeruli)

• cluster of capillaries at the entrance of the nephron

• the process of filtering the blood, thereby forming urine, begins here

renal pelvis

funnel-shaped reservoir that collects the urine and passes it to the ureter

hilum

indentation on the medial side of the kidney where the ureter leaves the kidney

ureters

two slender tubes, approx. 10 to 13 inches long, that receive the urine from the kidneys and carry it to the posterior portion of the bladder

urinary bladder

• muscular, hollow organ that temporarily holds the urine.

• as it fills, the thick, muscular wall becomes thinner and the organ increases in size

urethra

• lowest part of the urinary tract, through which the urine passes from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body

• this narrow tube varies in length by sex

approx. 1.5 inches long in the female

approx. 8 inches long in the male, in which it is also a part of the reproductive system carrying seminal fluid (semen) at the time of ejaculation

urinary meatus

opening through which the urine passes to the outside

epispadias

congenital defect in which the urinary meatus is located on the upper surface of the penis

hypospadias

congenital defect in which the urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis - a similar defect can occur in the female

polycystic kidney disease

condition in which the kidney contains many cysts and is enlarged

renal calculus (pl. calculi)

stone in the kidney

renal hyperstention

elevated blood pressure resulting from kidney disease

sepsis

a condition in which pathogenic microorganisms, usually bacteria, enter the bloodstream, causing a systemic inflammatory response to the infection (aka septicemia)

urinary retention

abnormal accumulation of urine in the bladder because of an inability to urinate

urinary suppression

sudden stoppage of urine formation

urinary tract infection (UTI)

infection of one or more organs of the urinary tract

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)

a noninvasive treatment for removal of kidney or ureteral stone(s) (aka shock wave lithotripsy)

• by using ultrasound and fluoroscopic imaging, the stone is positioned at a focal point

• repeated firing of shock waves renders the stone into fragments that pass from the body into the urine

fulguration

destruction of living tissue with an electric spark (a method commonly used to remove bladder growths)

renal transplant

surgical implantation of a donor kidney to replace a nonfunctioning kidney

KUB(kidney, ureter, and bladder)

a simple radiographic image of the abdomen

• often used to view the kidneys, ureters, and bladder to determine size, shape, and location

• also used to identify calculi in the kidney, ureters, or bladder, or to diagnose intestinal obstruction

blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

a blood test that measures the amount of urea in the blood

• used to determine kidney function

• an increase BUN indicates renal dysfunction

creatinine

a blood test that measures the amount of creatinine in the blood

• an elevated amount indicates impaired kidney function

specific gravity (SG)

a test preformed on a urine specimen to measure the concentrating or diluting ability of the kidneys

urinalysis

multiple routine tests performed on a urine specimen

catheter (cath)

flexible, tubelike device, such as a urinary catheter, for withdrawing or instilling fluids

distended

stretched out (a bladder us distended when filled with urine)

diuretic

agent that increases the formation and excretion of urine

enuresis

involuntary urination

hemodialysis (HD)

procedure for removing impurities from the blood because of an inability of the kidneys to do so

incontinence

inability to control bladder and/or bowels

micturate

to urinate or void

peritoneal dialysis

procedure for removing toxic wastes when the kidney is unable to do so

• the peritoneal cavity is used as the receptacle for the fluid used in the dialysis

stricture

abnormal narrowing, such as a urethral stricture

urinal

receptacle for urine

urinary catheterization

passage of a catheter into the urinary bladder to withdraw urine

urodynamics

pertaining to the force and flow of urine withing the urinary tract

void

to empty or evacuate waste material, especially urine